Electrostatic Discharge on Headphone Amp. Is it dangerous?
Feb 13, 2012 at 10:41 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 7

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Hi, I'm a newbie here.. Currently, I felt an electrostatic discharge from my amp's case.
The questions are:
 
Will this damage the component and affect the sound quality?
Does the electrostatic discharge come from the metal case or it's from the circuit?
Is the metal case connected to the circuit?
 
I know some may say that it's already grounded, so it's safe enough
However, I use an adapter since my country doesn't use any grounding socket in its electrical system
 
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:07 PM Post #3 of 7
I know most Mac laptops with an aluminum case use the case as a ground when the electrical ground is missing. This can lead to a shock if you touch the case in the right place. Doesn't hurt the laptop, but can give you a nice sting.
 
Your headphone amp may be doing the same thing.
 
ps. No need to bump after only 20 minutes.
 
Feb 14, 2012 at 4:05 AM Post #5 of 7

 
Quote:
I know most Mac laptops with an aluminum case use the case as a ground when the electrical ground is missing. This can lead to a shock if you touch the case in the right place. Doesn't hurt the laptop, but can give you a nice sting.
 
Your headphone amp may be doing the same thing.
 
ps. No need to bump after only 20 minutes.


 
btw, do u experience this in ur schiit lyr? I use lyr also..
 
Feb 14, 2012 at 1:32 PM Post #6 of 7
I live in the US and everything here is grounded. But I know that the Lyr has ground isolation, so it would not surprise me if it used the case for grounding in the absence of an electrical ground. I can't say for sure though.
 
Can you plug it into a grounded outlet and see if that works? You should have at least one grounded outlet for the washer/dryer and perhaps the fridge.
 

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